Edison Ford Winter Estates & Gardens

Call me a nerd, but the Edison Ford Winter Estates (yesssss Edison as in the lightbulb and Ford as in carmaker genius & neighbor friend of Edison) was the coolest place I've ever been. From the beautifully preserved estates and gardens to the tour through Edison's personal laboratory, I was in awe at absolutely every turn. They have a self guided audio tour (you simply hold a cell phone type device to your ear and receive little tidbits of info as you walk around which the kids LOVED), so we could walk around the estates at our own leisure, and they even encourage you to LEAVE the trails in hopes that your curiosity will inspire your own little secret discoveries. The homes were old and georgous with their origional furnishings, but as I walked around, I realized that this old estate wasn't really that old. Our world has dramatically and rapidly changed in the past 100 years, and I was amazed by how closely intertwined the great creative minds were in their research and discoveries. Walking through his lab, I noticed that he had the same basic tools that we use today: pipetts, beakers, bunson burners, and chemicals, but instead of mapping the genome or trying to create antimatter, they were studying exotic plants to create filaments and plastics. I gained a greater respect for science even in it's simplest form and a reverence for the men who have used their brillance and curiosity for a greater cause.